How Are Allergy Tests Performed?

Our immune system gives a protective response to microorganisms that enter our body. However, the immune system of people who have allergic individuals in their families can also overreact when they encounter harmless substances such as pollen and dust in the environment. The "overreaction" event in these people is called allergy.

What are the Allergy Types?

The most common types of allergies are:

• Allergic rhinitis; commonly known as hay fever. Frequent sneezing, runny nose, dryness, runny nose, itching in the throat and dry cough are seen due to various chemicals, animal hair, some nutrients, house dust and pollen.
• Allergic asthma; When genetically predisposed people encounter allergens, narrowing of the bronchi and difficulty in breathing are observed.
• Allergic conjunctivitis; When the membrane surrounding the white part of the eye encounters allergens in the environment, it gives symptoms such as itching, watering and burning.
• Urticaria; the name among the rings is hives. Boredom is the response to allergens encountered by any means (food, air), especially stress. It manifests itself with rapidly developing itchy rashes on the skin.
• Food allergy; It is the body's response to certain protein substances in foods. It manifests itself with rash, itching and diarrhea after food intake.
• Atopic dermatitis; known as eczema. They are dry, scaly and patchy itchy areas on the skin. It is also known as childhood eczema because it develops frequently against food in childhood.
• Bee sting; It is an extreme response to the protein in the bee's secretion. The skin swells quickly after the bee stings. It is itchy. If rapid swelling does not stop, anaphylaxis may develop.
• Drug allergy; It is the body's reaction to a substance in the medicine. The most common symptoms are hives, rash and fever.
• Anaphylaxis; is life threatening. The response to the allergen is very strong. Therefore, it can cause difficulty in breathing and loss of consciousness. The patient should be taken to a health institution as soon as possible.

Which Section is the Allergy Test Performed?

Allergy tests are not tests that the patient can do alone. The patient's diagnosis was made by physicians who are specialized in this field. After the medical history and examination, the decision is made and applied.

These tests are performed by Allergy and Clinical Immunology specialists in children and adults.

How to Diagnose Allergy?

Family history is taken together with the patient's detailed history. In the family history, clues about susceptibility are sought. Generally, allergy or atopy runs in the family.
In the patient's history, it is tried to determine when and/or in which situations the complaints increase or decrease. In the physical examination, the signs of the disease in the body are examined. Allergy tests are requested on the skin and/or blood after the suspected allergens are detected.

How Are Allergy Tests Performed?

Allergy skin tests depend on the type of allergy (such as food, pollen, house dust, etc.) suspected in the patient. ) according to Allergy and Clinical Immunology specialist. The physician decides on the allergens that should be investigated in the patient in the ready allergy test panels. Allergy tests can be done with 3 methods:

Prick test: In this method, the patient's skin is scratched and 20-30 allergens can be evaluated. It is waited for 30 minutes to see if a reaction occurs to the allergen dripped on the skin scratches. The allergen to which the reaction is given is determined according to the diameter of the redness that appears. Since some drugs can change the results of the prick test, the patient should inform the physician before the test is performed.

Patch test: It is used in the diagnosis of allergens that cause eczema. A band with chemicals is attached to the patient's back and waited for 2 days. It is detected that allergy develops to the substance in the places where there is redness.

Intradermal test: In this test, allergens are given just under the skin with a thin needle tip and in an amount that will cause a slight swelling. 15-20 minutes are waited for the results.

Detection of IgE antibody in blood: The value of IgE antibody is determined in the blood taken. It increased 10 times more in allergic people compared to normal people.

What is Food (Food) Allergy? How is Food Allergy Test Done?

For food allergy, allergy test can be done from skin and blood. The skin test is more instructive and gives results in as little as 20-30 minutes. Pediatricians and Pediatrics experts recommend that foods that cause food allergies, which have a high potential to cause allergies, are fed to the baby's It is determined according to whether there is an improvement in the deletion or not. If there is improvement in the baby, nutrient loading is done for a definitive diagnosis. Afterwards, the determined allergen is removed from the baby's diet.
In the case of food allergy with symptoms such as anaphylaxis, the skin test is given after evaluating the clinical findings and the specific IgE level in the blood.

How Are Allergy Tests Performed in Babies and Children?

Allergy testing in infants and children is done as in adults. In general, except for the intradermal method, the application of the allergen on the skin is not felt. It is not a painful or painful procedure in infants and children either. In the intradermal method, the entry of the needle under the skin is felt.

Is the Allergy Test Performed on an Empty Stomach?

Allergy test is performed differently according to the antigen. For this reason, it is necessary to get information from the doctor who will do the test about coming to the test hungry or full. Blood tests are usually done hungry.

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